Curapedi
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
Anthony Pittore III (Shattered_Wake)
Brian Geraghty ('The Hurt Locker') and Tricia Helfer ('Battlestar Galactica') star as a couple looking for their perfect home. Unlike the rest of us, they don't use real estate agents or the classifieds. Instead, they find the home they want and murder anyone in their path to getting it. This time around, the unlucky homeowner is Alice (Rachel Blanchard of 'Snakes on a Plane'). Things get complicated (well, more complicated than things usually are for a pair of roaming serial killers) when David (Geraghty) decides to spare the life of Alice, unbeknownst to his partner in crime & love, Lila (Helfer). As Lila spins further & further down the drain of insanity, David begins to regret his decisions and considers making a life change, hopefully with the companionship of his newfound obsession Alice. 'True Blood' stars Anna Paquin (whose brother Andrew wrote/directed) and Stephen Moyer also co-star in small roles.Marketing in the film industry is a fickle friend. It can make a film and it can destroy it. Look, for example, at a film like 'Cloverfield' from a few years ago. What may have been just a small passing at the box office turned into a worldwide phenomenon, mostly thanks to some phenomenal viral marketing that truly sparked the interest the film needed. With 'Open House,' however, it seems as if marketing is going to very much hurt the film. Why? Because they're setting the film up in a way that will only disappoint a great load of people. Those people are fans of the hit HBO series 'True Blood.' Looking at the cover art for 'Open House,' we are shown the main stars of 'True Blood' Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer right up in the foreground with their names smack dab on the top for all to see. The problem with this, however, is both actors combined probably have under ten minutes of total screen time. While I wasn't bothered much by this since I didn't see the cover art prior to the film, I can see why many fans of the show will be annoyed when the two main reasons they sought out the film are gone before they even get the chance to fully settle into their sofa.Moving past what is sure to be a disappointing part of the film, there are several elements that I quite enjoyed about this little thriller. The most alluring factor of 'Open House' and one that was truly impressive would be the performances. I was impressed by just about every actor's work throughout the film, especially that of Rachel Blanchard and Brian Geraghty, who after 'The Hurt Locker' deserves to be doing bigger & better films than this. Another strong technical aspect of this film was the cinematography. Joseph White, who made his mark with his photography on 'Repo! The Genetic Opera,' did very well simultaneously capturing the beautiful architecture of the house along with the gloom of the basement 'prison.'One more talent associated with this film is the director, Andrew Paquin. I didn't cite his role as the writer with that compliment because I believe that is where he and the film failed most. As a director, he did a very fine job, especially for his rookie outing. The script, however, is what needed work. While the dialogue and plot were satisfactory enough, the real problem came from the constant wasted chances at real suspense. Rookie directors often run into problems when they direct their own work because they sometimes can't see the problems that another director or co-writer would see during pre-production or filming. A writer may read through his own script ten times, know it word for word, but not see a small flaw that a person may catch on their first run through. That is why another creative mind working on the script is almost always useful, especially in small productions like this.Overall, 'Open House' is not going to go on as one of the great thrillers of our time. It will, like many straight-to-video films before it, most likely be forgotten by this time next year. However, for a one-night stand with an entertaining rental, you can do a lot worse than Andrew Paquin's first attempt. I'd like to see more in his future.Final Verdict: 6/10.-AP3-
meghan-c-simon
After reading the reviews, I anticipated a terrible movie.Remember: this is Paquin's debut - 1st effort....I have seen a lot worse.while full of the normal thriller clichés and obviously working with a low budget, the acting and art direction is surprisingly good... as is the psychological tension/dynamic between the protagonist, his partner, and his captor.all in all? not bad...I wouldn't see it in the theatre but it would be worth a one time rental.
Shazam-O
There is absolutely nothing of value in this movie. First of all, forget about the tension or suspense or mystery - because there is none of that. The plot is so hollow that you could seriously not care less what happens next - except looking forward to the end credits. For an R-rated film about sex and murder both of those things are suspiciously missing. Sure people are killed, but they are killed with cutaway shots and splashes of raspberry jam against the wall or window. And the "sex" scenes make old episodes of The Love Boat look x-rated. I guess it was writer Andrew Paquin's sister who got him the chance to make this horrid screenplay into a movie. And if she bankrolled it too, then it's probably his last. Well, it's probably is last anyway.I can usually even enjoy watching bad movies... but not this one.
M W
A recently divorced woman is attempting to sell her home when two lunatics break in & murder everyone she loves or cares about in her life.There's a bit more to the story than that but im not going to ruin it.Besides you'll probably figure it out within 15 minutes anyway. Nothing groundbreaking here there are a few jolts some shocks & enough sustained tension to not bog things down & keep the movie from being too dumb or too overcooked. Open House looks crisp & moves briskly & has a lot of TV actors in lead roles which typically is disastrous for these micro movies. Anna Paquin is topped billed on this site which is understandable considering her bro is the brains behind it but unfair to Rachel Blanchard & Brian Geraghty who are 2 of 3 actors that carry this movie for its duration. The 3rd is Tricia Helfer of BSG fame who does the psycho bitch routine very well.Watch her facial expressions throughout Open House & you'll know what I mean. The only complaint I have is the end which feels rushed & unsatisfactory.However I cared enough about the victims to say a few times aww man I kinda liked that guy.Which is pretty good in my opinion because all the side actors are just lambs to the slaughter & you know it as soon as they pop up on screen.All in all Andrew Paquin is a competent writer & director who should have no problem tackling bigger mainstream movies in the future. Sidenote here I hate True Blood!Am I the only one that feels Alan Ball is slumming it?!?!? I say this only because Sookie & Bill share some screen time here. That is all go watch Open House & Enjoy but if your expecting your two favorite True Blood actors to have a big meaty part in this sorry but its just a selling point.They're screen time is extremely limited.
